The present invention pertains to jacks utilized to move heavy objects, and, in particular, to an elongated handle for a jack that allows a user to operate the jack from a relatively distant or remote location.
Jacks are available in a variety of different shapes and sizes and serve as portable devices capable of lifting heavy loads through short distances with reduced effort. Jacks are standard accessories in automobiles and trucks to allow people to raise or jack-up their vehicles to, for example, change tires. To operate these types of jacks, their handles frequently require rotation to provide a rotary input to components of the jacks. In some cases, the handles are used as lever arms and are operated via a pumping action to control jack operation.
Due to the structural configuration of many vehicles, frequently a jack must be positioned well beneath the vehicle to abut the appropriate portion of the underside of that vehicle. Consequently, elongated handles are required to control the jack in a convenient fashion beyond the periphery of the vehicle.
Several types of elongated handles have previously been provided. One type of jack extension handle comprises an elongated, one-piece rod which allows for operation of a jack inserted far beneath a vehicle. While perhaps functional, storage of the one-piece elongated handle within the vehicle is problematic. To conform to the available storage space, the handle is formed with a variety of bends or angles in multiple planes to fit around other vehicle components. Consequently, the handle is undesirably unwieldy.
Another known extension handle is stored as two parts and assembled for use. A first, forged solid rod which attaches to the jack at one end includes a keyed socket at its other end. A second, forged solid rod includes a flattened plug at one end that inserts into the keyed socket. The end of the second rod opposite the plug is keyed and fits into a keyed hole in a lug wrench that may be used to rotate the assembled extension handle. Locking together of the first and second rods in an operational position is accomplished by a thumb screw within a tapped, transverse hole in the first rod which extends into the socket to engage the plug. While effective, operating the thumb screw may be complicated by dirt, or by paint which covers the rods, that may enter the threads.
Other extension handles, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,237,890, involve tubular members, typically formed of metal, which can be disassembled into their separate parts to facilitate storage. Each of these handles includes a first piece with a female end with a square or hexagonal socket, and a second piece with a complimentarily formed male end which inserts and is locked into the female end. The connected male and female ends are releasably locked together with biased, projecting buttons or pins that form part of the handle pieces. A significant shortcoming of these devices is that their tubular construction is relatively expensive and therefore undesirable. In particular, as a jack is seldom needed by a customer and is therefore not a particularly strong selling point for any vehicle, vehicle manufacturers desire to minimize the cost of jack assemblies.
Still another elongated handle employs two solid rods which are hingedly connected by a rivet. One of the handle rods includes an extension portion projecting beyond the rivet which overlays the second handle rod when the elongated handle is pivoted about its rivet and unfolded to its operational position. A tubular locking member mounted on the second handle rod slides over the extension portion to lock the elongated handle in an extended position. The disadvantage of this design is that the hinge rivet, in order to provide a tight fit between the two hingedly connected parts, often results in a handle which is difficult to unfold for operation. Furthermore, when the hinge is loosely connected, the handle can rattle which creates undesirable noise within the storage compartment or trunk.
Thus, it would be desirable to provide a jack extension handle that overcomes these and other deficiencies of the prior art.